🎯 40 Tips for Older Job Seekers That Actually Get Results

I just turned 41 a few months ago. If I was job searching today, some places wouldn't think twice about rejecting me for being too old.

And you know what? Even if it wouldn't be fair, I don't mind. Every company, every team, is entitled to hire whoever they think will be the best fit.

As a job seeker, it's up to you to research companies and teams upfront, before you apply, so you can estimate if you'll be a good fit.

As an older job seeker – 35+, 45+ or even 65+ – it's up to you to research companies and teams upfront, before you apply, to see if they have a history of hiring workers like you so you can better estimate if you'll be a good fit.

Here are 40 tips to help you along the way.

If you're over 35, have you ever been told explicitly that you're overqualified?

Free bonus: The Midlife Job Search Report is a handy guide I compiled for older job seekers. Download it now.

1. Choose a direction

Start by deciding what you want to do next. Emily Allen, manager of the Workforce Initiative Program at AARP: for older workers, it's often “the first time in life that they can consider what they want to do rather than what they need to do.” (via CareerJournal.com)

2. Get a forward-facing resume

Midlife job seekers need a resume that looks forward, not backward. To quote from the article- “a résumé shouldn't read like the testimonial at your retirement dinner.” Rather- “Change the perspective from “look at everything I have done,” to “look at everything I can do for you.”” (via Forbes.com)

3. Be proud of yourself

Don't be defensive and don't omit dates. You've worked hard to get where you are, so be proud of what you've accomplished along the way and be even more enthusiastic about what you have yet to accomplish.

“If you have good computer skills, be sure they are highlighted to help overcome the perception that older people are less computer savvy.”

30. Focus your resume, the right way

“If you are looking for career continuation… use a more traditional resume. If you are planning to change significantly… summarize your long work career in a single paragraph. Then focus… on skills you have developed and accomplishments… that are applicable to your new career focus.”

I'll add…

31. Get a second opinion

Of your resume, of your way of dressing, etc.

Look in the mirror, or perhaps have someone do it with you.

32. Don't give yourself excuses

Prevent yourself from feeling that you missed an opportunity solely because of your age. Most of the time it simply isn't the case, so avoid clouding your understanding of what the issue really was and focus on any potential improvements for the next interview.

People tend to associate startups with young go-getters and will be more likely to remember a standout older person taking those same risks. Leverage that recognition along with your experience and contacts as you move forward. Plus – with a longer credit history, banks are more likely to help you with financing than a student who only recently opened a first account.

35. Do a startup where your exit strategy is a job offer…

… at another company. As you make progress with your new business, job opportunities will arise through your new network of contacts around the startup.

36. Create your own networking group

Do a startup of a third kind – take the initiative to form a local support group or job club if you can't find one in your area.

37. Network, network, network.

Many contacts accompany much experience over a long career, and you should use that broad reach to find the people that can help you most.

38. Boomerang

Consider boomeranging- returning to work for a former employer. You may still know people on the inside who can vouch for you.

39. Just be yourself

Don't try to act young in your eyes, you will just look old in their eyes. Always be yourself- it has gotten you this far already.

40. Hire a good job search coach

Especially one who understands older job seekers.

Free Bonus

The Midlife Job Search Report is a handy guide I compiled to help older job seekers.

I think there’s a lot of great advice on this blog and as a professional resume writer I’d have to say I agree with almost all of it. The only point I question is about dates. I’ve worked for clients who have a college graduation date of 1978 or earlier. For these situations, I say to simply remove the date. I could see a 22-year-old HR coordinator reviewing that and thinking, “hey, that was before I was born.” For this reason and others, I’d suggest omitting such dates.

You have to be careful of limiting your CV to one or twos pages. It depends on if you or applying through online or not. These online jobs applications site use Applicant tracking system (ATS) that reads through your CV. If you leave to many things out, you could end up being over looked. If you are submitting a CV online through these sites where you upload your CV , put as much info on them as you can. I guess we will all have to wait a few years before the tracking systems are more developed. I notice recruiters have become lazy in relying on these ATS programs and assume they give accurate reports. Hence, they may end up struggling to fill positions advertised, not because there aren’t the right candidates, just that these ATS are not versatile enough to make a good a report based upon what they read. They are too search engine like and automated to give the recruiter a sound information to work off. This is how things are, just another dimension to think about when creating your CV’S

“If I was job searching today, some places wouldn’t think twice about rejecting me for being too old.
And you know what? Even if it wouldn’t be fair, I don’t mind. Every company, every team, is entitled to hire whoever they think will be the best fit.” – You may not mind this personally, but technically these companies are actually not entitled to determine best fit according to an age metric – they are in violation of the law when they do so. Most if not all may never face consequences, but it’s essentially the same thing as hiring an all white, all male, blond, blue-eyed team and saying it’s the “ideal culture” for their business.

Yes, the quote sounds bad out of context (like so many other things…) but I stand by it: job seekers don’t have the time to go on a crusade, meritorious as it may be, they want to end their job search asap and should work towards that. Join the crusade, absolutely, once your job search situation has stabilized.

As for ageism being freely allowed or encouraged, certainly not by me. It’s true that ageism is startlingly common, but where do you see it freely allowed and encouraged?